Agitation turns into general strike as NGOs join

Kurnool: The 13-day old strike took a serious turn on Tuesday with all sections in the civil society joining the strike making it a general strike on Tuesday. The 70,000-strong employees of 71 departments joined the strike which was launched by the students, teachers and employees unions with effect from Monday midnight.

Following the indefinite strike call given by the AP NGOs, the RTC workers also joined the strike disrupting the 960 bus services in the district. All the buses were confined to the RTC depots causing inconvenience to the traveling public. About 5,000 RTC workers have been participating in the district. The school managements, employees of various government departments have been staging rasta roko and dharnas peacefully. A number of artists were seen near the Collectorate singing patriotic songs.

The doctors of the Government general hospital here joined the strike exempting the out-patient ward causing trouble to the patients. The doctors flayed the government for taking the decision to divide the state. “The decision was taken only to appease a section of political leaders,” they added. Employees of Medical and Health department along with the artists sang songs for a united state.

The relay hunger strike launched by the members of Kurnool Bar Association reached the fourteenth day on Tuesday. The advocates have taken out the motorcycle rally in the city raising slogans for a united State. Teachers have taken mass casual leave for two days and joined the strike. Teachers JAC leader Vengal Reddy said that the teachers unions would join the strike from August 16 if the decision to divide the state was not withdrawn.

The Government Drivers Association served the strike notice to Chief Secretary P K Mohanty stating that they were taking part in the agitation for the united State. District Collector C Sudarsan Reddy said that necessary action was being taken to avoid disruption to the emergency services following the strike call given by the employees and teachers.

All government offices including the District Collectorate were closed following the strike call given by the employees.
TDP rally: Demanding the continuation of status quo in keeping in the State united the Telugu Desam party Minority Cell under the leadership of its general secretary Rustum Khan took out a massive rally from the statue of Srikrishna Devarayalu to the Collectorate in the city on Tuesday. Addressing the rally, Rustum Khan said that the decision of Sonia Gandhi was shocking to the people of the State. Rayalaseema which has already been witnessing severe water shortage would turn into a desert, he lamented.

TDP Politburo member K E Krishnamurthy flayed the Congress party for taking a unilateral decision to divide the state. He said that instead of appointing a committee with UPA ministers, the Congress formed Antony Committee which was nothing but a Congress committee. The former minister said that the TDP would not cooperate with the Antony committee.
Bhuma Nagi Reddy and his wife Sobha has organised rasta roko on the national highway 18 at Allagadda in protest against the decision to divide the state. All the employees unioins, traders community, students participated in the dharna in Allagadda on Tuesday.

In Pattikonda, about 3,000 people under the aegis of Kuruba Association took out a massive rally at the mandal headquarters here on Tuesday. The Kuruba community members participated in the attire of Goravaiahs. Employees, students and traders also organised rallies and launched relay hunger strike.

In Adoni, employees, workers, hamalis, agriculture labourers, women and children came onto the roads and raised slogans in favour of a united state. The commission agents of Adoni market yard took out a massive rally with 200 bullock carts in the town.

In Atmakuru, Muslims, JAC members and YSR Congress leaders organised protest demonstrations here on Tuesday. Muslims headed by the religious heads staged a demonstration strongly objecting to the decision to divide the state. The rallies and demonstrations continued for eight hours on Tuesday.

Later, YSR Congress leadaer Budda Rajasekhar Reddy with sizable number of activists has taken out a rally. Employees JAC, RTC workers, journalists JAC, and members of various trade unions have participated in the rallies. All educational institutions were closed in the Srisailam Assembly segment. The transportation to Guntur, Kurnool, Ongole, Tirupati, Srisailam, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other areas was disrupted.